Mpasu Nkemdilim II
Mpasu Nkemdilim II was the fifth monarch of Sab Elai, and the first of the Mpasu dynasty. He focused largely on economic and infrastructural growth. Early life Nkemdilim was born in 42 BT; at the time of his birth, his grandfather Mpasu Omari had recently sworn fealty to the growing state of Sab Elai. As a child, Nkemdilim showed an aptitude toward fighting; combined with the ruling Kembure family's respect for the Mpasu, this led then-prince Kembure Oghenekaro to select Nkemdilim as his ward in 33. Nkemdilim was Oghenekaro's first ward, and so he became one of the closest confidants to Oghenekaro; he was also strongly influenced by Oghenekaro's generally peaceful policies, and under Oghenekaro's tutelage Nkemdilim became a capable administrator. By the time Nkemdilim completed his wardship in 24, he returned to his home of Nkenzou and there became the captain of the city patrol. In 15 BT, Oghenekaro— still childless— appointed Nkemdilim as his successor. This sparked some controversy, particularly from Oghenekaro's other wards, but while Oghenekaro was still alive, it stayed at a low level. Kembure Succession War In 3 BT, Oghenekaro died, and Nkemdilim officially became the Lamane of Sab Elai. However, this was formally contested by Tshanzim Afolabi, who had also been a ward of Oghenekaro; thus, after gathering an army, Afolabi made a declaration of war against Nkemdilim. This came to be known as the Kembure Succession War. As the chosen successor of Oghenekaro, Nkemdilim had more widespread support from the Yantalai aristocracy; however, Afolabi— who had secured support from fellow ward Adikimb Babatunde— was nevertheless able to maintain control over a large swath of southern Sab Elai. Nkemdilim started by targeting Ekenokwe, the Adikimb keep; by holding Ekenokwe and Mbonye, he was able to hold onto a close and economically powerful area, allowing him to gradually overpower the Tshanzim armies. By 1 DR, Nkemdilim had taken control of almost all of Sab Elai's territory, and he became formally recognized across the nation as the lamane. Reign The first years of Nkemdilim's reign were largely occupied with war recovery, especially in the former Tshanzim strongholds in the south. Nkemdilim also sought to support urbanization— many of the inland areas of Sab Elai were still living a largely nomadic lifestyle, and Nkemdilim maintained that the establishment of more cities would help build a richer commercial network throughout the nation. Although Nkemdilim's push for urbanization did see modest success, several of the larger nomadic groups refused to found cities, and continued living as before; this caused increasing division in the culture of Sab Elai, as the nomads of the west frequently came into conflict over resources with the fledgling cities more common in the east. Nkemdilim had difficulty resolving the issue, and by the time of his death in 17 DR he had not reached a permanent solution to the ongoing disputes. Personal life Nkemdilim married Punwame Chiamaka in 23 BT, only a year after completing his wardship; they went on to have four children together. Nkemdilim took two wards: Adikimb Nzarbarimb (17–8 BT) and Chuenku Kwame (14–5 BT). Category:Yantalai Category:Mpasu Family Category:Monarchs